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South Carolina Freshwater Fishing Report - 10/27/2008
October 27, 2008
Mountains Area 
- Piedmont Area - Midlands Area - Santee Cooper System - South Carolina freshwater fish regulations (PDF) - Purchase a fishing license - Boat Ramp Locations
Fishing trends courtesy www.SCFishingReport.com. Check the site for recent updates and detailed reports.
- Trout: Good. Troll in 85 to 90 feet in the big water around the dam. Minnows and spoons are most effective, and limits of brown trout are frequent.
- Black Bass: Fair. Some anglers report topwater action early in the morning, using Zara Spooks or Rebel Pop-Rs. A more consistent bite is coming working a shakey head jig with a 5 inch pumpkin seed worm around the backs of small coves in the main lake area, particularly before the sun gets high.
- Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Fair. Early in the morning until 11 a.m. or so anglers are reporting very good results for spotted bass using soft jerk baits and swimbaits. Spotted bass are schooling in the major creeks above the power station in 10 to 25 feet and hitting well on blue colored rattle traps or strike king red eye shad in black and silver patterns.
- Crappie: Fair. The crappie bite is beginning to improve slightly, and fish are being found around brush in 8 to 12 feet of water.
- Bream: Good. Use crickets or worms just off the banks in 8 to 12 feet of water.
- Catfish: Very good. At night catfish are moving onto lake flats and feeding very well. Use cut herring or bream.
- Striped and Hybrid Bass:Â Good. Stripers are active in the Long Point area near the dam in 90 feet of water using down rods fished in 40 to 50 feet.Â
- Bream: Good. For bigger bream back off the bank into 5 to 15 feet of water and use crickets or worms.
- Largemouth Bass: Good. Look for large pods of shad developing and fish hitting the surface - swimbaits and Spooks are both effective.
- Striped Bass: Good. For big fish target the area from Smith McKee up with big baits.
- Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Fair. Most anglers fishing for bass are fishing at night with dark plastics worms.
- Crappie: Fair. There are reports of decent numbers of crappie being caught trolling up Beaverdam Creek in the late evening and around structure under lights at night.
- Catfish: Good. Fish deep with cut or whole herring on the bottom. Bream: Good. Fish in 2 to 10 feet of water with crickets or worms.
- Striped and Hybrid Bass: Fair. Use live herring fished on downrods, and look for schooling activity early and late.
- Crappie: Fair. Look for brush in 25 to 35 feet of water although it is hard to find with low water; minnows are producing better than jigs.
- Largemouth Bass: Slow. Try Carolina rigged plastic worms fished deep around points and creek mouths.
- Catfish: Very good. Reports indicate channel catfish are beginning to gorge themselves and lots of fish in the 2-4 pound range are being caught.
- Bream: Very good. Use crickets or worms and fish shallow structure around the shoreline.
- Largemouth Bass: Good. Fish can be located shallow, and topwater lures, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jig n pigs, and plastic worms are all working.
- White Perch: Good. Really nice catches are being made in 18 to 20 feet of water using minnows or silver spoons.
- Crappie: Fair to good. Crappie fishing is fast improving, and fish can be located around in 18 to 20 feet of water around brush.
Midlands Area
Lake Greenwood:
- Catfish: Very good. Big flathead catfish can be caught in 10 to 15 feet of water around heavy brush which is close to ledges.
- Bream: Very good. Bream action is still very strong in shallow water 3 to 4 feet deep. Use crickets and red worms.
- Largemouth Bass: Good. The best action is coming when fish are schooling on the surface on cloudy days and early and late. These fish can be caught on either traditional topwater lures or crankbaits cast into schools.
- Striped Bass: Fair. Increasing schooling activity has been reported in the last few weeks, and largemouth bass and white perch are still mixed in with the schooling striper.
Lake Wateree:
- Catfish: Good. Best fishing is coming down the lake around the mouths of major creeks and in the river channel. Use cut bream and gizzard shad anchored on the bottom.
- Bream: Good. Fish 3 to 6 feet of water using worms and crickets.
- Largemouth Bass: Slow. Lake Wateree bass fishing remains difficult, and few people are catching fish - even those who do are not reporting consistency from day to day.
- Catfish: Good. Drifting cut bait in 30 to 50 feet of water is producing channel and white cats in the 2 to 8 pound range and blue catfish in the 10 to 15 pound range. The fish are relating to main lake humps near channel ledges.
- Bream: Good. Fish in 6 to 12 feet using worms on the bottom.
- Largemouth Bass: Fair to good. Topwater action is being reported early in the morning, particularly on Spooks or buzzbaits fished off points. As the sun rises anglers are concentrating on large numbers of bass running the banks and chasing white perch. Some spinnerbait action is being reported, but the predominant lures remain soft plastics.
- Crappie: Fair. Crappie are still largely gathered around deep brush in 10 to 20 feet of water, but fish are starting to gather in the mouths of creeks where they will remain all winter.
- Striped Bass: Fair. Striped bass are beginning to spread out across the whole lake, although the best action is being reported in the area between Bomb Island and Twin Island. A variety of methods are being used, and free lining and planer board techniques are both becoming much more common over relatively shallow areas in 10 to 20 feet of water, especially early in the day.
- Catfish: Very good. Drifting large cut bait in very deep water is producing occasional but large blues catfish. Using a smaller bait will result in more frequent hook-ups but smaller fish. Explore all depths and don’t get stuck on the depth that was effective a few days earlier.
Santee Cooper System           Â
Lake Marion:
- Catfish: Very good. Both blues and flatheads are holding deep in 25 to 40 feet but they are moving shallower at night and to feed.
- Bream: Very good. Use crickets or red worms. Crappie: Fair. Fish are still concentrated around brush down as deep as 25 feet.
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. Try Texas rigged worms around deep structure.
- Catfish: Erratic. Fish on the bottom in 30 feet of water using chicken livers; fish will mainly be eating size but catfish up to 30 pounds have been caught recently on this bait.
- Largemouth Bass: Good. On days when water is being pulled through the canal fishing has been very good.
- Bream: Fair. Shellcracker are being caught in the canal, but not in great numbers. Fish with nightcrawlers along drop-offs.
- Catfish: Very good. Catfish continue to bite well in 15 to 25 feet and drifting has been productive with small blue back herring the hot bait.
- Crappie: Fair. Crappie fishing is beginning to improve and fish are being caught in 10 to 14 feet using minnows and jigs around brush, docks, and other structure.
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. Try deep Carolina or Texas rigging, but look for shallow bass fishing to improve as water temperatures drop.
Related posts
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South Carolina Freshwater Fishing Trends - 10/6/2008
October 6, 2008
Fishing trends courtesy www.SCFishingReport.com. Check the site for recent updates and detailed reports.
- Bream: Excellent. The bream bite continues to be hot. For keeper sized bream move off the banks a bit and fish in 10-15 feet with crickets.
- Catfish: Very good. Fish in 15-20 feet in the mouths of rivers and creeks. Anchor nightcrawlers or minnows on the bottom.
- Trout: Good. Troll in 80-95 feet during the day using large minnows or lures like trolling spoons. Trolling is even better at night in the area up to the dam, and nice trout are also being caught with nightcrawlers anchored on the bottom.
- Black Bass: Slow. Bass fishing is tough, and very few anglers report catching fish recently. From 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. try topwater lures such as buzzbaits, Zara Spooks, and noisy lures like jitterbugs, or crankbaits. When the sun starts to get up around 8 a.m. fish move off the banks and into deeper water. Fish deep diving crankbaits, worms on the bottom, or slowly bounce jigs on the bottom in the 80-90 foot deep range for redeye bass.
- Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Fair. Early in the morning fish topwater Lake Fork or Sebile swimbaits in Magic Shad and shad colors around boat docks and main lake points. After the sun rises look for main lake humps in 20 to 40 feet or creek mouths and points and fish Carolina rigs or drop shot rigs (down to 60 feet) with green pumpkin worms. Crankbaits in black and silver and blue and silver have also been working in the same areas around balls of shad. Watch your depthfinder closely and look for baitfish and deep brush - fish will be concentrated around these. Best fishing is coming in the Cane Creek and Mile Creek areas.
- Crappie: Fair. Crappie are in deep water but night fishermen are doing well off and on by fishing up against bridge pilings with a light to attract bait and crappie.
- Bream: Fair. The Fishing Hole reports that cricket sales are way off for this time of year, although bream are still available around the banks in 3 to 15 feet of water.
- Catfish: Very good. At night catfish are moving onto lake flats and feeding very well. Use cut herring or bream.
- Striped and Hybrid Bass: Good. Fish are biting at 30 to 50 feet over 100 to 140 feet of water in the channel between Anderson Island and the dam. Downrods with live bait and trolling with downriggers and lead core line are both effective. The early morning bite for small stripers is fast and furious between 6 and 9 AM near Portman Shoals. Fish flat humps in 25 to 30 feet; anchor and chum to draw the fish in, then drop your downrod to the bottom and reel up about three turns. If you don’t get bit within a few minutes move onto the next hump.
- Bream: Good. Bream are in shallow water and continue to feed aggressively. For bigger bream back off the bank into 5 to 15 feet of water and use crickets or worms.
- Largemouth Bass: Slow. Early and late look for topwater action off shoals and points, but the bite is tough right now on Hartwell. As the sun gets higher switch to shaky head worms and Carolina rigs in 25 to 30 feet of water off the end of points and along river channels. Be sure to be on the water very early or at night for best chances.
- Striped Bass: Good. For big fish target the area from Smith McKee up with big baits. The lower tail race area has also been productive for numbers of fish and occasional very large ones.
- Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Fair. Most anglers fishing for bass are fishing at night with dark plastics worms. There are also isolated reports of good topwater action early in the morning; switch to plastic worms once the sun gets up.
- Crappie: Fair. There are reports of decent numbers of crappie being caught trolling up Beaverdam Creek in the late evening and around structure under lights at night.
- Catfish: Good. Anglers have been doing very well for catfish lately. Fish deep with cut or whole herring on the bottom. Bream: Good. Bream fishing continues to be good, even with low water conditions. Fish in 2 to 10 feet of water with crickets or worms.
- Striped and Hybrid Bass: Fair. Small striper are being caught in the mouths of creeks, but overall striper fishing has been slow. Looking for cooling temperatures to improve fishing.
- Crappie: Fair. Crappie are deep but can be caught around bridges at night. Also look for brush in 25 to 35 feet of water although it is hard to find with low water; minnows are producing better than jigs.
- Largemouth Bass: Slow. With the lake so far down it is hard to find productive largemouth structure. Try Carolina rigged plastic worms fished deep around points and creek mouths. Occasional schooling activity has been reported, but it is sporadic.
- Catfish: Very good. Catfishing remains strong, and some very large catfish are also being caught. White perch fishermen are also finding medium sized catfish mixed in with perch schools and feeding on small shad and minnows.
- Bream: Very good. Bream continue to be very hungry and aggressive on Lake Wylie; use crickets or worms and fish shallow structure around the shoreline.
- Largemouth Bass: Good. With cooling temperatures bass fishing has really improved. Fish can be located shallow, and topwater lures, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jig n pigs, and plastic worms are all working. Buzzbaits have also been effective at night.
- White Perch: Good. After disappearing for a few weeks the big perch schools have reappeared, and some really nice catches are being made in 18 to 20 feet of water using minnows or silver spoons. Lots of pound sized fish are being caught.
- Crappie: Fair to good. Crappie fishing is fast improving, and fish can be located around in 18 to 20 feet of water around brush.
Midlands Area
Lake Greenwood:
- Catfish: Very good. Big flathead catfish can be caught in 10 to 15 feet of water around heavy brush which is close to ledges. As the thermocline moves down and then eventually disappears fish will continue to get deeper. For numbers of smaller catfish fish the upper part of the lake with stinkbaits, cut bait or worms in 12 to 15 feet of water, and try fishing at night.
- Bream: Very good. Bream action is still very strong in shallow water 3 to 4 feet deep. Use crickets and red worms.
- Largemouth Bass: Good. The best action is coming when fish are schooling on the surface on cloudy days and early and late. These fish can be caught on either traditional topwater lures or crankbaits cast into schools, and the best action is coming in the mid-lake area from Goat Island to the state park.
- Striped Bass: Fair. Increasing schooling activity has been reported in the last few weeks, and largemouth bass and white perch are still mixed in with the schooling striper. The mid lake areas seems to be most productive.
Lake Wateree:
- Catfish: Very good. Big flathead catfish can be caught in 10 to 15 feet of water around heavy brush which is close to ledges. As the thermocline moves down and then eventually disappears fish will continue to get deeper. For numbers of smaller catfish fish the upper part of the lake with stinkbaits, cut bait or worms in 12 to 15 feet of water, and try fishing at night.
- Bream: Very good. Bream action is still very strong in shallow water 3 to 4 feet deep. Use crickets and red worms.
- Largemouth Bass: Good. The best action is coming when fish are schooling on the surface on cloudy days and early and late. These fish can be caught on either traditional topwater lures or crankbaits cast into schools, and the best action is coming in the mid-lake area from Goat Island to the state park.
- Striped Bass: Fair. Increasing schooling activity has been reported in the last few weeks, and largemouth bass and white perch are still mixed in with the schooling striper. The mid lake areas seems to be most productive.
- Bream: Excellent. Fish in 12 to 20 feet of water using crickets and worms on the bottom.
- Catfish: Good. Catfish are being caught in 8 to 15 feet of water on the bottom. Use cut bait or nightcrawlers.
- Striped Bass: Fair. Striped bass are beginning to spread out and scatter across the lake, particularly in the area from the dam down to Billy Dreher Island. Schooling action is also beginning to be reported around the lake. In the big water near the dam best action is coming fishing downrods in 60 to 70 feet. Continue to leave a couple of free lines out; striper are coming up and taking those, too, and decent topwater action has been reported around the dam some mornings. At night good action is coming around the towers and in the Spence Islands area trolling large plugs on downriggers or lead core lines.
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. Topwater action is still the most consistent bite; very early in the morning and late in the day fish topwater lures like flukes and Zara Spooks. Fish continue to be surprisingly shallow, and baby brush hogs have been working. After being unproductive for much of the year spinnerbaits are also beginning to work.
Santee Cooper System           Â
Lake Marion:
- Catfish: Very good. Both blues and flatheads are biting very well on cut bait. During the day they are holding deep in 25 to 40 feet but they are moving shallower at night and to feed.
- Bream: Very good. Bream are continuing to feed well, and Hill’s Landing and Randolph’s Landing reports some nice stringers being caught. Use crickets or red worms.
- Crappie: Fair. Crappie fishing is fair but beginning to pick up. Fish are still concentrated around brush down as deep as 25 feet.
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. Largemouth bass fishing has slowed down with warmer temperatures; try Texas rigged worms around deep structure.
- Catfish: Erratic. Cats are being caught in the canal on days when water is being pulled through, but other days are slow. Fish on the bottom in 30 feet of water using chicken livers; fish will mainly be eating size but catfish up to 30 pounds have been caught recently on this bait.
- Largemouth Bass: Good. On days when water is being pulled through the canal fishing has been very good.
- Bream: Fair. Shellcracker are being caught in the canal, but not in great numbers. Fish with nightcrawlers along drop-offs.
- Catfish: Very good. Catfish continue to bite well in 25 to 40 feet. Fresh cut bait such as strips of gizzard shad, white perch, and mullet are all productive. Nigh fishing is also strong.
- Crappie: Fair. Crappie fishing is beginning to improve and fish are being caught in 10 to 14 feet in Lake Moultrie. Use minnows and jigs around brush, docks, and other structure.
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. Bass fishing has slowed down, and most of the fish are in deep water. Try deep Carolina or Texas rigging, but look for shallow bass fishing to improve as water temperatures drop.
Related posts
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South Carolina Freshwater Fishing Trends - 8/18/2008
August 18, 2008
Fishing trends courtesy www.SCFishingReport.com. Check the site for recent updates and detailed reports.
- Trout: Good. Troll in 80-100 feet during the day using large minnows or lures like trolling spoons.
- Black Bass: Good. From 7 p.m.to 8 a.m. topwater lures are the key to catching bass. Fish buzzbaits, Zara Spooks, noisy lures like jitterbugs, or crankbaits.
- Bream: Very good. For keeper sized bream move off the banks a bit and fish in 10-15 feet with crickets.
- Catfish: Very good. Fish in 15-20 feet in the mouths of rivers and creeks.
- Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Good. Early in the morning when the baitfish are moving Lake Fork swimbaits fished in 10 to 25 feet of water in the backs of coves have been productive - magic shad and albino colors have been most effective. Also try buzzbaits in pearl white and chartreuse colors.
- Crappie: Fair. Crappie have moved out to deep water but night fishermen are doing well off and on by fishing up against bridge pilings with a light to attract bait and crappie.
- Bream: Good. Fish crickets in 3 to 15 feet of water.
- Striped and Hybrid Bass: Good. Fish the area from Singing Pines to the dam in 70 to 90 feet of water. Down lines with herring, downriggers, and lead core lines are all effective ways to get down to the fish.
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. Early and late there is still some topwater action off shoals and points, but the bite has slowed down as the water has gotten very hot.
- Bream: Very good. Bream are in shallow water and are feeding aggressively - while cricket sales have slowed down because of the heat the bite hasn’t.
- Striped Bass: Fair to good. Fish in 20-35 feet over main lake humps or around long, deep points.
- Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Fair. Most anglers fishing for bass are fishing at night with dark plastics worms.
- Crappie: Fair. There are reports of decent numbers of crappie being caught trolling up Beaverdam Creek in the late evening and around structure under lights at night.
- Striped and Hybrid Bass: Good. Water temperatures in the upper 80s mean that the lake is stratifying, and striper can be tough to locate. Best action is coming when the fish are moving to the top and feeding on large schools of threadfin shad - throw bucktails or rattle traps.
- Largemouth Bass: Slow. Fish deep diving crankbaits or Carolina rigged worms deep.
- Crappie: Fair. Look for brush in 25 to 35 feet of water; minnows are producing better than jigs.
- Bream: Good. Fish in 2 to 10 feet of water with crickets or worms.
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. Fish topwater lures early and late to target schoolies, and after the sun comes up switch to vertical jigging with Hopkins spoons.
- White Perch: Very good. Fish mid lake humps in 18 to 20 feet of water with red worms, minnows, and spoons.
- Bream: Very good. In a very late spawn some fish are still bedding in shallow areas around the middle of coves; use crickets or worms and try to “smell out” the beds.
- Catfish: Good. Use mussels, shrimp, and stinkbaits. Fish are also being caught trolling with minnows using traditional crappie fishing methods.
Midlands Area
Lake Greenwood:
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. From very early until 8 a.m. fish around blocks walls that have some depth - these may be hard to find with water levels a bit down. Use floating worms in bright colors like white, orange, yellow, or pink.
- Striped Bass: Good. Down around the dam some nice catches of striper are being made even on very hot days - fish early and late with live herring.
- Bream: Good. Bream have moved out around docks and brush. Fish about four feet deep.
- Catfish: Very good. Fish on the bottom using cut bait or worms in 12 to 15 feet of water, and try fishing at night.
Lake Wateree:
- Largemouth Bass: Tough. Try deep humps or brushpiles with large, deep diving crankbaits like DD22s in chartreuse and green/ blue colors, or fish worms deep.
- Catfish: Very good. Creek mouths where the creeks meet the main river channel are great places to anchor up for bigger catfish. Early morning or night fishing trips are a good ideas for more comfortable fishing in the hot summer.
- Bream: Good. Fish 3 to 6 feet of water using worms and crickets.
- Striped Bass: Fair to good. Fish in 60 to 80 feet of water with down rods and live bait in the lower lake, and at night target the towers. There is some free lining action and occasional topwater schooling.
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. Very early in the morning fish topwater lures like Sammies, buzzbaits, or 9 inch floating worms.
- Bluegill and Shellcracker: Very good. Fish in 4 to 5 feet with crickets or poppers.
- Catfish: Good. Catfish have moved out to deeper water; fish cut bait and nightcrawlers in 8 to 20 feet.
Santee Cooper System           Â
Lake Marion:
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. Largemouth bass fishing has slowed down with warmer temperatures; try Texas rigged worms around deep structure.
- Catfish: Very good. Catfish are deep but biting very well on cut bait.
- Crappie: Fair. Look for fish to move slightly shallower and feed much more aggressively by the end of August and beginning of September.
- Bream: Very good. Use crickets or red worms.
- Catfish: Very good. Fish on the bottom in 30 feet of water using chicken livers; fish will mainly be eating size but catfish up to 30 pounds have been caught recently on this bait.
- Bream: Fair. Fish with nightcrawlers along drop-offs.
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. Try deep Carolina or Texas rigging.
- Catfish: Very good. Catfish have moved deep but continue to bite well, particularly at night. Use cut bait - shad, herring, or mullet.
- Crappie: Fair. Look for structure in 20 to 25 feet of water and fish minnows vertically. Fishing should improve in the next few weeks.
- Bream: Fair. Few reports of bream being caught in the lower lake are available.
Related posts
0
South Carolina Freshwater Fishing Report - 7/28/2008
July 28, 2008
Fishing trends courtesy www.SCFishingReport.com. Check the site for recent updates and detailed reports.
- Trout: Very good. Very nice catches of large rainbow trout are being reported trolling in 70 - 90 feet of water using trolling spoons or large plugs; also pull large live shiners in the same zone. Fishing early and late is best.
- Black Bass: Excellent. Areas that have rocks and some wood seem to be most productive, and the hot lure remains dark swamp crawler green pumpkin Zoom trick worms.
- Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Very good. Early in the morning when the baitfish are moving Lake Fork swimbaits fished in 10 to 25 feet of water in the backs of coves have been productive for spotted bass in the upper part of the lake - magic shad and albino colors have been most effective.
- Crappie: Fair. Crappie have moved out to deep water but night fishermen are doing well off and on by fishing up against bridge pilings with a light to attract bait and crappie.
- Bream: Very good. Fish crickets in 3 to 15 feet of water.
- Striped and Hybrid Bass: Very good. Try out lead core line and lures such as Cisco Kids and other similar ones. Also, look for fish stacked up near channels and other 40 - 65 foot deep areas.
- Largemouth Bass: Good. Early and late there is still good topwater action off shoals and points. Deep running crankbaits may also be effective, and deep, shaded boat docks are productive.
- Bream: Very good. Bream are in very shallow water and are feeding aggressively.
- Striped Bass: Fair to good. Striper action is hit or miss. Fish in 20-35 feet over main lake humps or around long, deep points.
- Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Fair. Most anglers fishing for bass are fishing at night with dark plastics worms.
- Crappie: Fair. There are reports of decent numbers of crappie being caught trolling up Beaverdam Creek in the late evening and around structure under lights at night.
- Bream: Good. Fish shallow with crickets and red worms.
- Striped and Hybrid Bass: Very good. Fish live herring in 30 to 60 feet of water around creek channels and drops.
- Largemouth Bass: Good. Try Texas rigged worms or shad raps.
- Crappie: Good. Look for brush in 25 to 35 feet of water; minnows are producing better than jigs.
- Bream: Fair. Fish in 2 to 10 feet of water with crickets or worms.
- Largemouth Bass: Fair to good. Early in the morning anglers are targeting schooling bass feeding on shad first thing with topwater lures, and on cloudy days this bite can continue all day. At night bass can be found down to about 15 feet of water or more fishing dark worms around brush.
- White Perch: Very good. Fish in 18-22 feet of water on drops next to river channels and look for sandy bottoms. Use a minnow or small spoon lowered to the bottom and then bumped slowly; crickets will also work.
- Bream: Very good. Use crickets or worms and try to “smell out” the beds. Also fish shallow structure around the shoreline.
- Catfish: Good. Use mussels, shrimp, and stinkbaits. Fish are also being caught trolling with minnows using traditional crappie fishing methods.
Midlands Area
Lake Greenwood:
- Largemouth Bass: From very early until 8 a.m. fish around blocks walls that have some depth. Use floating worms in bright colors like white, orange, yellow, or pink. At night fish dark plastic worms around piers or brush piles.
- Striped Bass: Good. Down around the dam some nice catches of striper are being made even on very hot days - fish early and late with live herring.
- Crappie: No reports.
- Bream: Good. Fish about four feet deep.
- Catfish: Very good. Fish on the bottom using cut bait or worms in 12 to 15 feet of water.
Lake Wateree:
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. For several weeks fishermen had been successful fishing soft plastics around the banks, but the best bite may now be with deep running crankbaits like the DD-22.
- Catfish: Very good. For numbers of fish target the lake flats using cut bait and gizzard shad. Creek mouths where the creeks meet the main river channel are great places to anchor up for bigger catfish.
- Bream: Very good. Fish 1 to 5 feet of water using worms and crickets.
- Striped Bass: Very good. Fish in 40 to 100 feet around open water humps or down by the towers. Best fishing is coming early and late, or at night. Now is the time to experiment with lead core lines, downriggers, or fish down rods.
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. Fish topwater lures early and late, and during the day fish Carolina rigs or jigs around submerged rocks in 6 to 18 feet of water.
- Crappie: Poor. No one seems to be finding the crappie right now, except a few guides and other anglers who have favorite deep brushpiles.
- Shellcracker: Excellent. Fish in 4 to 8 feet of water around points and shallow humps with baby nightcrawlers and red worms.
- Catfish: Excellent. Fish cut bait and nightcrawlers in 3 to 20 feet.
Santee Cooper System           Â
Lake Marion:
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. Fish Texas rigged worms in slightly deeper areas.
- Catfish: Good to very good. Lots of catfish are being caught both shallow and deep. Fish stinkbaits or cut herring in the flats or the Red Bank area.
- Crappie: Good. Lots of fish are being caught in the lower part of the lake around stumps in 10 - 12 feet on live minnows.
- Bream: Good. Fish in 2 - 10 feet with crickets or red wigglers.
- Catfish: Very good. Use cut or live herring, or live bream.
- Bream: Fair. Fish with nightcrawlers along drop-offs.
- Largemouth Bass: Fair. Try deep Carolina or Texas rigging in deeper water.
- Catfish: Very good. Fish in 8 to 10 feet using cut herring or stinkbaits for numbers of fish.
- Crappie: Fair. Look for structure in 20 to 25 feet of water and fish minnows vertically.
- Bream and shellcracker: Good. Fish 1-5 feet for bluegills and 8 to 10 feet for shellcracker.  Â